Sunlight filtered into the large stateroom, rousing Paige from her peaceful night's sleep. She blinked open her eyes and smiled when she saw Jack, dozing peacefully, his arms wound around her slender body. She thought back to last night and felt herself blush at the memory. It had easily been the best night of her life, making love to Jack and then lying in his arms as she drifted off to sleep. She could easily imagine herself living this way for a very long time.

"Morning, love," said Jack, his voice rough and low as he opened his eyes against the harsh morning light, "Sleep well?"

Paige smiled, her green eyes glowing with happiness, "Best night's sleep I've had in a long time."

Jack beamed at that as he reached up and traced the outline of her face with his hand, "Me too, love. But now we must go to my chart room. It's time to plot your first plunderin' expedition."

Paige's eyes took on an almost wild glint as she practically leapt off the bed, "Aye, aye captain!" she said giddily, bouncing from one foot to the other like a child.

Jack couldn't help but smirk in amusement at her reaction. This girl was pirate through and through…there was no questioning that fact. He smiled as he climbed out of bed. He put on his shoes and his hat and then head out his arm to Paige. She laced her arm through his, her eyes brimming with happiness and excitement as Jack led her toward the chart room.

…

"Mister Gibbs!" shouted Jack Sparrow as he burst out of the chart room a few minutes later, "Set the course! Rouse the men! It's time for the Black Pearl to set sail!"

Gibbs laughed gleefully as he ran below deck and began to order the crew around. The complied with great enthusiasm as they rushed out onto the deck, moving swiftly and efficiently, eager to be out on a mission once again.

Paige found herself caught up in the moment as she rushed out of the chart room behind Jack and began to help the crew ready the ship. Despite their earlier misgivings for the young woman, the pirates seemed rather excited to have her out on deck helping them. They seemed to have forgotten their earlier concerns in the excitement of the moment…especially when Paige began to sing…

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

"She knows the song!" exclaimed Ragetti, his eyes wide with astonishment, "Do you hear that?"

"Aye," said Pintel, giving Paige a surprised and somewhat impressed look, "So she does know the song. Well, lads let's not leave the lady to sing by herself!"

And with that, the rest of the crew joined in on the song as they readied the Black Pearl…

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Maraud and embezzle and even high-jack
Drink up me hearties yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

We kindle and char, inflame and ignite
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We burn up the city, we're really a fright
Drink up me hearties, yo ho

We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Jack couldn't help but smile as he watched Paige lead his crew in the infamous pirate song. The entire crew was laughing and running about the ship as if they had all suddenly received a burst of energy. They looked more excited and amiable than they had in quite some time. The sight made Jack's heart surge with pride as he took his rightful place at the helm of the mighty and elusive Black Pearl. This was his ship and his crew…and they had a mission to accomplish.

…

"There she is Captain!" shouted Gibbs as he pointed toward the far starboard side of the ship, "That be the one yer lookin' for aye?"

Jack pulled out his telescope and peered through it in the direction his first mate was pointing. Paige waited next to Gibbs with baited breath, her heart hammering in her chest as she silently prayed this was the right ship. They were following Jack's compass and it had been pointing them in the direction of what Jack believed was a large merchant ship bound for England. Paige couldn't wait to draw her sword on a British vessel…something about pirating anything belonging to the Brits was just so…appealing…to her. In a way she saw it as a sort of revenge for what they had done to her and her family when she was a child.

"Aye!" shouted Jack after a moment, "That's her! Ready yourselves lads! Man your stations! Prepare to come alongside!"

The crew went into scramble mode again as they manned the cannons and brandished their swords. The sails were straining against a sudden gust of wind as the Black Pearl raced toward the merchant vessel. Paige smiled with excitement as she glanced up at Jack. She had been waiting for this very moment for so long that she could hardly believe it had arrived…it was time for her to prove that she was worthy of the pirate blood that ran through her veins.

As the Black Pearl drew up alongside the British vessel, Paige could hear the Brits screaming at one another in panic as they raced around, trying to ready their weapons to retaliate against the sudden surprise attack.

"Fire!" roared Jack, his dark eyes gleaming with an intensity that made Paige shudder. She was glad she was on this vessel and not the one that was about to be boarded by Jack Sparrow's crew.

The cannons rang out loud and true and the loud splintering sound of wood being torn apart echoed around them as the British ship suddenly found itself under heavy fire. The crew of the Black Pearl grabbed the ropes they had tied earlier and began to swing over onto the British ship. The screams of terror intensified as the pirates landed on board the ship and brandished their swords.

Paige glanced over at Gibbs and nodded toward him, "You going over Mister Gibbs?"

"Aye lass!" said Gibbs, his eyes gleaming with lust as he imagined the loot they'd find on the British vessel, "Come on now! We'll miss all the fun if we stick around here!"

Paige smiled an almost evil grin as she gave a wild battle cry and leaped onto one of the ropes. She swung high and true and landed with cat-like grace onto the other vessel. The second she landed she saw Pintel and Ragetti engaged in a terrific battle with three British sailors. They seemed to be overwhelmed and growing tired as each blow fell heavier and with less finesse. Paige leapt into the fray with a battle cry, startling the British sailors as she swung her sword wildly at them. With one deft movement she drove her blade right through one man and ripped it back cleanly out of him. The other two sailors gawked in bewilderment and fear as they dropped their swords, surrendering immediately to the pirates.

Paige pointed her sword tip at them, "Stand!" she ordered.

The men complied instantly, trembling with fear as she gazed down at them in fury, "Pintel, Ragetti, tie these men up and see to it they don't escape."

Pintel grinned wickedly, "Aye, Miss Hawthorne!"

Paige smiled at him, surprised by how quickly he had obeyed an order from her. Perhaps even Pintel was beginning to see that she made a rather decent pirate after all.

"The ship is ours!" shouted Gibbs after what seemed like a very short amount of time.

The crew cheered loudly as several of them disappeared below the decks toward the cargo hold to carry out the loot. Paige and Gibbs as well as a couple other pirates stayed topside to watch the few soldiers who were still alive and had surrendered. The crew tossed the crates of supplies onto the Black Pearl and left the badly wounded British merchant ship to their own devices.

"Three cheers for Miss Hawthorne!" shouted Pintel once the Black Pearl was at a safe distance from the merchant ship.

The crew cheered for Paige as she flushed with embarrassment.

Jack gave her a wink from where he stood at the helm. He had seen her swing fearlessly onto the ship and save Pintel and Ragetti from what looked like quite a nasty fight that could have turned bad very quickly. She was absolutely flawless on her execution and her natural leadership instincts had led the crew to a rather easy victory. Clearly Paige was truly a pirate…body, mind and spirit…and Jack Sparrow was falling hopelessly in love with her…

…

"There's been an attack!" shouted a soldier as he burst into the chart room where Commodore Norrington was frantically trying to figure out where the Black Pearl had disappeared to.

"Where?" he said, looking up sharply as the soldier entered the room, "Not far from here…not far at all," said the soldier, clearly out of breath from running, "The ship just passed us sir…they were crawling, badly wounded by cannon fire. Most of the crew is dead…and…it was a British merchant vessel sir."

James Norrington's face paled at that. His eyes flashed with undisguised fury as he slammed his fist down onto the table. He looked up after several long moments and addressed the soldier again, "And…are we sure this was the Black Pearl…Jack Sparrow's doing?"

"Yes sir," said the soldier as he swallowed nervously, "The crew…the ones who are still alive that is, shouted over to us that they were attacked by a ship with black sails."

Norrington's jaw clenched as he ground his teeth together in anger, "That's him…that's Sparrow."

"Shall we adjust course?" asked the soldier.

"Yes, immediately," ordered Norrington, his eyes flashing with determination, "Full speed ahead…I want to intercept the Pearl now! This ends today, gentlemen! Today…we finally catch the Black Pearl and bring my fiancé home!"

…

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